In Wake of Connecticut Shooting, NY DGA Holiday Party Goes Gun-Free

Even though movies and TV show makers have been canceling film premieres and shows out of deference to the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Connecticut, the New York office of the Directors Guild of America is holding fast to its plan to hold tonight’s holiday party at the West Village restaurant/gun club Tiro a Segno. It’s a case of bad timing for the DGA, which in October booked an eatery that mixes food with firearms, but insiders said they did the best they could in the circumstances. “Out of sensitivity to the tragedy in Newtown, no one will be using the range,” a Guild source tells Deadline. The restaurant has a legal gun range in its basement. The DGA dinner at Tiro a Segno will see about 20 staff members sitting down for a meal in the club. Use of the range was not promised in the formal invite to the party, but prior to last Friday’s carnage, revelers would have been free to fire weapons after dinner at Tiro a Segno, which translates into “shoot the target.” The club is members only, but rents the dining room for events like the DGA shindig.

17 Comments

Incredibly bad taste from the DGA to hold the event there, period.
Hopefully DGA members won’t show up, and will demand gun-free holidays from now on.

Justin • on Dec 17, 2012 1:05 pm

Why the #@&! would they hold it there in the first place? How many directors like to fire guns after eating?

m. • on Dec 17, 2012 1:05 pm

Sounds like the stupidest idea ever to have scheduled a party there in the first place, tragedies or no. Shooting guns is a fetish that should be practiced privately, not as part of a union or work celebration.

johnny 0 • on Dec 17, 2012 1:05 pm

MAYBE THE D.G.A. – STANDS FOR” DUMB ASS GUNOWNERS” ——- NICE CHOICE !!

Uh.. • on Dec 17, 2012 1:05 pm

Except that would be DAG. But yeah.

lay off • on Dec 17, 2012 1:05 pm

pre-tragedy I really don’t think people would’ve found this offensive. I’m sure it sounded like a clever spin on a Holiday dinner. That being said I don’t think alcohol and guns mix well but I would’ve thought nothing of using the range BEFORE dinner and drinks.

sounds like this was for staff not directors although why wouldn’t directors find this appealing? Especially if they’ve ever made an action film or show perhaps they’ve fired a real or prop gun before.

Fetish? Maybe hobby. Maybe sport. Maybe lame. It doesn’t have to be a fetish. We’re all a little upset over guns and violence right now but this party wasn’t planned yesterday.

eve • on Dec 17, 2012 1:05 pm

“How were we supposed to know there’d be a school shooting? After all, we booked it six months ago — you know, right after ten people were gunned down in that movie theater.”

American • on Dec 17, 2012 1:05 pm

The Aurora massacre happened FIVE months ago

Eve • on Dec 17, 2012 1:05 pm

“Thanks, “American,” for the fact check — that changes EVERYTHING! (So hard to keep my massacres straight, now that they’re such a regular occurrence in the USA!)

The Aurora, CO gun massacre was on July 20, 2012, which gave the DGA almost 5 months to cancel this wildly inappropriate Holiday Gun Party. I guess they figured we’d forget all about Aurora by now and that the next massacre would come after Christmas! Oops!”

art • on Dec 17, 2012 1:05 pm

Nothing smells Holiday party like going to a restaurant with a gun range. Where’s next year’s party DGA? a strip club?

Jay • on Dec 17, 2012 1:05 pm

Wow. This series of comments is pathetic. I realize the scope of this tragedy but condemning a private party because they like to responsibly exercise their constitutional rights? Really? Glad this tragedy could be used as a political tool. Way to go America.

WTF • on Dec 17, 2012 1:05 pm

But WTF do guns and the guilds have in common at all???? It’s asinine it was ever scheduled there in the first place. Do Marty and Quentin and Ang like to come to parties to shoot guns? Oh wait a sec., at least Quentin and I bet Ang aren’t even a part of the DGA…